Burglars In Forrest City, AR Steal Angel Tree Gifts

Not just a mother’s gifts to her children, but also presents from project Angel Tree.

Thieves hit a home in Forrest City, Arkansas, and the family is too scared to go back home.

But all may not be lost, and they may still have a Merry Christmas.

This Christmas looks bleak for Ann Trip and her six children.

“They ask me everyday, ‘momma, is we gonna get some more gifts?’ And I’m like, ‘I don’t know, I don’t know.’

The kids are 8 to 15-years old.

The Forrest City woman came home Saturday and found the doors to her house wide open, “We found out they stole all the gifts, the TV, they knocked over a whole lot things in my bedroom.”

Four large bags of presents from the local “Angel Tree” program were taken as well as a PlayStation 3 and some clothes and shoes Ann Trip bought for her children.

Eleven year old Derrick Parker is one of Trip’s children.

The youngster says he just doesn’t understand, “Mad, because we probably not have a Christmas.”

There were no signs of a break-in, leaving Trip to suspect someone had a key to get in.

She and her family haven’t been back in the house because they’re afraid for their safety.

Trip is un-employed and her children know money for new gifts is out of the question.

Her oldest son, 15-year-old Da’Vonta Brown, is worried about his mom, “I’ve been going out raking yards and stuff, trying to get a little money. But it’s not going to be enough.”

The stolen presents will probably never be recovered.

So the Forrest City civic organization that operates the “Angel Tree” program, plans to use some of it’s emergency funds to replace the gifts.

Paige Daugherty is Vice President of the Forrest City Junior Auxiliary, “Junior Auxiliary has decided that we are going to re-service this family, just cause that’s not their fault. And we want them to have Christmas and enjoy it.”

Members of the Junior Auxiliary” plan to go shopping Friday for gifts to replace the ones that were stolen.

The “Angel Tree” program provided gifts for 150-children in St. Francis County for Christmas.